Protect our environment from improperly disposed meds on this World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day. This isn’t a take-off-from-work holiday and probably a lot of folks may not even be aware of it at all. But as more awareness grows about climate change, the growing worldwide drought and ensuing water scarcity, it’s important to note that what we do has an impact on our surroundings – on our environment and particularly on the availability and drinkability of clean water.

Can we trust the FDA?

Can we trust an FDA approved drug?

If you’ve watched or read any ads for pharmaceuticals lately, you’ve seen the long list of potential side effects and warnings. Each time I see that, i wonder at the “wisdom” of the FDA to approve medications that have proven themselves to be hazardous in so many ways.

An article posted today quotes a study from the British Medical Journal that shows  less than half of all NIH-funded clinical drug trials were published in a medical journal within two and a half years of the trial’s completion – and that one-third of trial results remained unpublished even four years afterwords!  Ostensibly this is because the drug manufacturers don’t like the negative results to reach the public.

Senate passes pharmaceutical take-back bill

The Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would amend existing federal law dealing with the disposal of controlled substance medications, making it easier to safely get rid of unused medications.